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April 26: Authority

Focal Passage: Matthew 21:23-32 We’ve all heard it said or probably have said it ourselves: “I’ll take care of it.” But then it never gets done. The idea is that words are easy but follow through is harder. What really matters is not just what we say, but what we do. Here in Matthew 21, […]

April 26: A mission with a message

Focal Passage: Acts 3:12-20, 24-26 Have you ever had a message you were so excited to share with someone that you couldn’t keep it to yourself? There are certain people in my life that I just don’t share secrets with – they simply can’t keep them! Peter is ready to tell a message to some […]

Davis supports resolution that designates June as ‘Nuclear Family Month’

NASHVILLE — Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, voiced his support for a resolution signed by Gov. Bill Lee that designates June as “Nuclear Family Month” in Tennessee.   The month of June has been recognized nationally as Pride Month since 1999. “Any bright light that shines on […]

Women’s greatest calling is not an ‘aesthetic’

Here’s a question social media has muddied: What is a woman’s greatest calling? It’s an appropriate question as Women’s History Month was held in March and Mother’s Day approaches in May.  Social media hands young women two competing visions of womanhood. On one end sits the coastal-city influencer: career-driven, sexually liberated, self-worshiping. On the other […]

WMU introduces activity kit for kids  

FRANKLIN — Ready! Set! Go! As of January 2026, Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union (TN WMU) has a new tool to help children’s leaders teach about missions — and it’s free!  The missions event kit for children is available to download at tnwmu.org and is the fourth kit that TN WMU has produced. “If we want […]

ETBA still dealing with Helene impact

NEWPORT — East Tennessee Baptist Association leaders are still at work in Cocke County helping residents recover from Hurricane Helene which devastated much of the county in September of 2024. The help goes beyond meeting the physical needs, said Mike Hensley, director of missions for the association. It includes meeting mental needs and sharing the […]

For the long haul

Arise and Build still meeting needs left by Hurricane Helene NEWPORT — As the second anniversary of Hurricane Helene approaches in September, it remains more than just a distant memory for many people in East Tennessee. An estimated 50 to 100 families (and possibly more) still have not replaced their homes lost in one of […]

Behold, your (artificial) God

Supplanted. You will hear the word more often, so here’s a clear definition: To supplant is to replace one thing with another, often through technology. Here’s an example in context: The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects that 92 million jobs globally will be supplanted by artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030. The […]

TBMB team wins record 20 BCA awards

MOBILE, Ala. — The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s communications team won 20 awards in the 62nd annual Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition during the Baptist Communicators Association’s awards banquet April 14 in Mobile. “I could not be more proud of our communications team,” said Chris Turner, TBMB communications director and Baptist and Reflector editor. “These […]

Fresh harmony

Student Evangelism Conference replaces YEC with new look, new partnership, new branding CLARKSVILLE — Although the inaugural Student Evangelism Conference featured high-energy worship music, engaging speakers, and captivating entertainers, none of those things represented the central purpose of the event, said Ryan Keaton, strengthening evangelistic disciples team leader for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. “The […]

Why the print B&R still matters

I read a lot of news these days from a variety of sources. Hopefully, you do too. How can we not? These are complex and important times and staying informed matters. Newspapers still serve an important purpose in our society. Famous playwriter Arthur Miller once observed, “A good newspaper is a nation talking to itself.” […]

Union breaks ground on new $30 million chapel

JACKSON — Union University ceremonially broke ground Friday on a new $30 million chapel, a project described as the campus capstone that will serve as a visible testimony of the institution’s Christ-centered mission for generations to come. The freestanding facility, located on the eastern edge of the Jackson campus, will be clearly visible from Highway […]

‘No safe place anymore’ for Lebanon Baptists as Israeli-Hezbollah war escalates

BEIRUT (BP) – Baptists in Lebanon are suffering the escalation of Israel’s war with Hezbollah, as the war zone has expanded to include areas surrounding Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) and the Beirut Baptist School (BBS), both founded by Southern Baptists. “It feels like there is no safe place anymore,” ABTS President Wissam Nasrallah told […]

APRIL 19: GRACE

Focal Passage: Matthew 20: 1-16 My three boys use the phrase, “that’s not fair,” more times than I can count. When one gets a snack and the other doesn’t, they say, “that’s not fair.”. When one has homework and the others don’t, they say, “that’s not fair.”  It happens all the time. It’s not just […]

APRIL 19: A MISSION FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES

Focal Passage: Acts 3:1-10    Walking to the checkout line, I felt my stomach turn. I knew God wanted me to tell the store worker that he loved her and wanted me to pray for her. I chickened out. That was almost 20 years ago, and my disobedience still bugs me today. In Acts 3:1–10, […]

Dooley Noted: Struggling to Believe

​I love this time of year. Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday is a highlight on every church calendar. Additional worship services, large crowds, and first-time professions of faith create lasting momentum that churches often ride for months. Social media posts and pictures ought to bring a smile to our faces as we celebrate all […]

Pastors support legal immigration, split on deportation levels

Pastors overwhelmingly view legal immigration positively but are more divided over the proper response to those who are in the United States illegally. Additionally, U.S. Protestant pastors say they favor a path to citizenship for certain undocumented individuals but want to see border security increased, according to a Lifeway Research study sponsored by World Relief. […]

Dozens killed in Nigeria as violence mars Easter celebrations in several nations

CENTRAL NIGERIA (BP) – At least 54 Christians were killed early Easter in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, many during worship, with dozens more abducted from Evangelical Church Winning All Souls and other sites, International Christian Concern (ICC) reported. Murders and abductions in several communities in Benue, Kaduna and Nasarawa states were reported, but authorities had not […]

Back where it started

Casey returns to lead Tech’s BCM COOKEVILLE — Wade Casey is a math and science guy. He likes to know how things work and has a special interest in airplanes and spacecraft. It’s in his genes — his dad, grandfather, and several uncles were all mechanically minded. Naturally, the Chattanooga native majored in Mechanical Engineering […]